International Ayurveda Day

AAPNA has declared as October 3rd, each year will be “International Ayurveda Day (IAD)”. International Ayurveda Day (IAD) falls on the eve of the birth celebrations of Dhanwantari. Lord Dhanwantari is the creator of Ayurveda.

On Ayurveda Day and all week long, free ayurveda awareness lectures, workshops, and other special events will be conducted. If anyone is interested in listing their free events for the week, please email us at contact@aapna.org, and we will be happy to post.

Lord Dhanvantari, as per Vedas and Puranas (scriptures), is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Dhanwantari is said to be the God of Ayurvedic medicine and physician of the Gods. Lord Dhanwantari is worshiped by devotees to seek his blessings and for sound health. Lord Dhanwantari is portrayed as “Chatur Bahu” Vishnu (with four hands), holding medicinal herbs in one hand and a pot containing rejuvenating nectar called amrita (nectar) in another.

Incarnation of Lord Dhanwantari

According to Shreemad Bhagwat and Sushrut Samhita, Lord Dhanwantari emerged from the ocean with a pot of Amrit (nectar) when the ocean of milk was churned by Gods and demons for Amrita. Goddess Mahalakshmi also re-born on the same day and therefore the birthdays of Goddess Lakshmi (Dhan Teras) and Lord Dhanwantari are celebrated on the same day. Lord Dhanwantari emerged out of the ocean holding Amrit Pot (nectar), Shankha (conch), Chakra (disc) and Jalauka (leech) in his four hands. Lord Dhanvantari protects all living beings from diseases, untimely death and eliminates sorrows.

“I bow and humbly request Lord Dhanwantari, who is the embodiment of perfect health – respected by great seers and evil people – to remove old age, disease, fear and death through His divine presence in all natural herbal medicines.”